Gardens Galore

Not only have we been thoroughly enjoying our renewed membership to the Atlanta Botanical Garden (they had ripe blackberries in the edible garden last week, and Elsa and her little friend, Olivia, had a good time sneaking a few), but we are also very much enjoying our neighborhood garden and little garden here at home as well.

My dear friend, Alison, started the neighborhood garden a couple (few?) years back, and now that we are actually living here in the 'hood again, we have jumped in to helping tend it, as well as reap all the benefits of its bounty. There has been at least one workday per month, and we have tried to make it to as many of those as possible. We started early in the spring/late winter, clearing things out, amending the soil with compost, building a compost bin, planting seeds, mulching, etc. It is called the Good Things Garden, and, boy, does it bring good things to our table. Already, we are enjoying an endless amount of beautiful mixed lettuces, collard greens, swiss chard, kale, turnips, snow peas, and snap peas. And there is still much to look forward to. It has been fun for the girls -- especially Elsa -- to accompany us during the workdays and help plant seeds, watch those seeds sprout and grow into a plant that bears food, and then see that food on our dinner table. Elsa is much more likely to try a vegetable she actually helped grow, and that is so awesome to see.

From March 9:

From April 6:

From April 27:

Picking lettuce for our dinner that night, while my brother was in town last month.

And at home, Jarrett built four raised garden beds, which sit at the rear of the house, near to our two bee hives, which are also new to us this spring. I worried and fretted and worried some more after planting my rows of seeds in the beds, as just a day or two after, we experienced very heavy rains that lasted and lasted. I was sure my seeds had washed into unidentifiable clumps, and was not sure what to expect. However, I happily watched every row sprout, and now we have quite the respectable backyard garden. It is time for me to actually thin out some of the plants, but I am so thankful I have thinning to do. What do we have coming up? Arugula; sage; green beans; broccoli rabe; three types of carrots (fun-colored varieties); heirloom cherry, pear, and (larger) cherokee tomatoes; sweet peppers; another mild pepper; green onions; basil; dill; swiss chard; dinosaur kale; collard greens; and beets. I also planted a few random pumpkin seeds outside the beds, just to see if we could grow a pumpkin or two for carving in October, as well as some sunflower seeds and fennel. Between the raised beds, the bees, an herb garden out front, four blueberry bushes, a blackberry bush, and a raspberry bush, my gardening (urban farming) itch has been satisfactorily scratched. I am still, however, itching to do more. It's all a work in progress.

Elsa and Jarrett, hard at work.

Jarrett, donning the bee suit.

It is fun that he is finding it all as interesting as I am.

Herb garden out front.

Our garden as of today -- Jarrett made the awesome trellises too!

I have been a strong supporter of farm-to-table eating for years now, but this backyard-to-table thing is even better!